Supporting Teens on Social Media

Written By: Michael Burks, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program TECHNOLOGYand social media play complex roles in the lives of teenagers. Teens are at a developmental stage where social relationships have foremost importance in their lives. Social relationships and group memberships contribute to identity formation and self-esteem. Social media has tremendous value to teens. […]

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Teen Dating: 5 Tips for Parents

Written By: Wendy Ortiz-Rodriguez, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program There comes a timein an adolescent’s development when friends turn into crushes and crushes turn into potential dating relationships. Dating can be tricky at any age in development, therefore it is worth having a conversation about this topic with your teen to guide them […]

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Developing Healthy Relationships in Adolescence

Written By: Andrea Delariyala, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program relationships are an important part of any person’s life. This is especially true for adolescents – they will often experience an increased desire to explore friendships and romantic relationships. This increased interest in friends and movement away from family is a normal part of […]

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Technology and Teen Dating

Written By:  Sarah McLaughlin, LMFT, Site Supervisor, ACS On-Campus Counseling Program Teen relationships can often seem mysterious in this digital age. It’s not always easy for a parent to ascertain the nature of their child’s relationships or to keep track of the ups and downs that take place during these romantic relationships. How are teens […]

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The Addict and the Enabler

Written By: Laura Cole, ACS Clinical Intern, Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment and Community Counseling Programs ACS’ Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program depends on the participation of not only the teen struggling with substance abuse, but the family or guardian as well.  Addiction affects the entire family, and each family member has a personal responsibility to the […]

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Domestic Violence Among Teens

Written By Evan Sahn, ACS Clinical Intern, Adolescent Substance Abuse & Community Counseling Programs Domestic violence has recently become a more visible crime as survivors of assault are frequently more willing to report their perpetrators to the police.  Even with this increased visibility, stories of domestic violence in the media have been centered almost entirely […]

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What is the Choking Game?

By Beverly Reyes ACS Outpatient Counseling Services Intern Source: http://tweenparenting.about.com/od/healthfitness/f/ChokingGame.htm Question: What is the Choking Game? Answer: The choking game is a dangerous practice of tweens and teens in which they self-strangulate in order to achieve a brief high. The high is the result of oxygen rushing back to the brain after it’s cut off by the practice of strangulation. […]

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Opinion:Destigmatize Counseling in the Palo Alto Community

Image: Cascadian Farm Source: palyvoice.com by: Lydia Barry Published November 9, 2014 Counseling at Palo Alto High School is highly stigmatized, and is a concept many students are ignorant towards. Some do not know what Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS) is or exactly what it does. “I don’t think people utilize [counseling] as much as they could,” senior […]

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